“Asia is Us”

NZ’s Asia2000 head Chris Butler on a recent 5-city tour of Asia, Butler spoke of NZ’s 40 year evolution towards a post-colonial identity: “Now, instead of relying on the ‘Lion of England,’ NZ is partnering increasingly more with the ‘Tigers of Asia.'” Auckland, where one in nine residents is of Asian descent, was made the primary example of NZ’s Asian status. Street signs are often translated into Korean, Japanese and Chinese, and the annual Lantern Festival brings over 100,000 spectators and the participation of more than 300 schools. As Butler says, “Asia is not only our future – it is our present.”